1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to application software development, configuration management, and deployment. More specifically, the present invention relates to program management software that allows an organization to effectively deploy new or updated software only after the software has been tested for quality and durability.
2. Background of the Invention
Configuration management for development and deployment of application software can be a complex and time-consuming task in environments where software developers are constantly updating software used to support operational business requirements. For example, many organizations today employ large teams of software developers to create and maintain applications needed to maintain a cutting-edge in their respective markets. Oftentimes, there is a need to continually improve or expand the capabilities offered to customers via the applications. In such dynamic software development environments, systems and methods for managing development and deployment of application software can be critical to the success of the organization.
It is common knowledge in the art that software development should follow a few basic principles. For example, it is generally accepted that a requirements phase should be the first step in any software development project. During this phase, the desired functionality of the software is defined and well as its operating environments, timelines for deployment, budgets, and the like. The next phase in a software development process typically involves application developers actually writing code to meet the requirements. In this phase, the developers may consider questions or issues such as the choice of the software development environment, the programming techniques to be implemented, and the like.
Once the application code has been written, it needs to be tested. In many environments, the initial testing is performed by the developers themselves. At some point in the process, the application may be turned over to a quality assurance (QA) group for further testing. The application will be deployed on operational systems only if the code passes QA testing.
While these phases are commonly known to software developers, a problem exists in enforcing the procedures. That is, for a variety of reasons, the new code may not have been fully tested prior to being deployed. For example, if a code change appears simple, the developer may not consider how the change may impact other applications running in the production environment. In other cases, a short deadline may force a developer to deploy software before it has been fully tested. Another problem with managing software configuration may be the sheer number of developers working on a project. The project may be so large that it is broken down into several components, such that each component is independently developed, tested and deployed. In such cases, it becomes a very difficult process to manage each component to ensure that all testing has been accomplished prior its deployment.
Conventional software configuration management applications have been used to track software configuration. Such management applications may be used to determine the versions of software on a system and may be used to track other software development tasks. However, conventional configuration management applications do not include enforceability. That is, such applications may be used to help a manager to track changes to a system. However, applications do not provide a common framework within which developers, testers, and configuration managers can work to manage the entire software development and deployment process.
Another problem with conventional configuration management software is the lack of a user-friendly interface. Many configuration management software is difficult to understand and does not provide high-level visibility into the status of individual software components.